'Saturday Night Live' Adds Two Black Female Writers

Not only is “Saturday Night Live” adding Sasheer Zamata as its new black actress, but it’s also tapped two black female writers to join the show. The Hollywood Reporter notes that LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones will join the line up soon. Both were discovered during the sketch show’s recent auditions.

Jones, a stand-up actress-comedian who was a finalist for the new castmember spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, has guest-starred in comedies including The League, Sullivan & Son and written and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. She’s performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2011, her comedy special Problem Child was broadcast on Showtime. Jones is repped by Integral Entertainment and Pierce Law Group.

Actress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West.